Dart Guy is attempting to forgo the vice that helped him go viral, and a certain Toronto Maple Leafs executive is in his corner.Jason Maslakow says he's giving up smoking, and Brendan Shanahan is all for it.

The Florida Panthers reportedly plan to sit down with Washington Capitals assistant coach Todd Reirden to discuss their vacant head coaching position.Reirden has an interview forthcoming with the Panthers, and is also a potential candidate for the same position with the Buffalo Sabres, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.The Panthers are also reportedly considering former Montreal Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien, along with Jim Montgomery of the reigning NCAA champion University of Denver.Reirden was a finalist for the Calgary Flames' job that ultimately went to Glen Gulutzan last June.He's been a Capitals assistant since being hired in June 25, 2014 - the same day he was fired by the Pittsburgh Penguins following a four-season stint.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Eastern Conference Final certainly isn't decided after one game, but the Pittsburgh Penguins have some work to do to avoid dropping the first two contests on home ice.Ottawa frustrated Pittsburgh in Game 1 on Saturday night, grinding out a 2-1 victory in overtime and throwing the Penguins off their game in several ways.Here are a few things Pittsburgh needs to do to turn the tide in Game 2:Stop getting outshotOttawa fired seven more shots on net than Pittsburgh in the opening game, and while that's nothing new for the Penguins of late, it's a trend that needs to be addressed going forward.Pittsburgh has been outshot in 10 consecutive games, including all seven against the Washington Capitals and the final two contests in their first-round series against the Columbus Blue Jackets.The Penguins have proven they're capable of winning in the playoffs without holding the edge in shots on goal, but it should be a focal point now that they're up against a Senators club that plays a trapping style that limits scoring opportunities.Score on the power play(Photo courtesy: Action Images)It'll be easier said than done against the Senators' dramatically improved penalty kill, but the Penguins have to produce on the man advantage.Pittsburgh has the best power-play success rate in the playoffs among the four remaining clubs and had the third-best mark in the regular season, but failed to score on all five of their opportunities in Game 1.Four of those failed power-play chances came in the first period (with the fourth carrying over into the second), including a two-man advantage for 45 seconds."We (had) an opportunity there to grab a lead," Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said postgame, according to Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "I just think we didn't execute. The movement wasn't there. The passes weren't crisp."Surely, that will be an area of focus in Game 2.Don't forget what they do bestThe Senators have been using a 1-3-1 formation that clogs the neutral zone, evoking memories of the New Jersey Devils' vaunted but controversial neutral-zone trap of the 1990s and 2000s.Say what you want about Ottawa's strategy, but it's working, and the Penguins obviously have to figure out a way to counter it.Pittsburgh practiced cluttering up the neutral zone Saturday (here's the video evidence, via the Tribune-Review's Bill West), but this is not the solution.The Penguins shouldn't change their game to mirror their opponent. Stick with what's worked all season and in the previous playoff rounds - speed, skill, and goaltending.Pittsburgh has the first two in spades, and one difficult game shouldn't be the impetus for an ill-advised departure from their bread and butter.This team is loaded with talent up front, and to resort to a trapping style would be a waste of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Conor Sheary, Patric Hornqvist, and Jake Guentzel.Let them play their game, and don't lose sight of what's made this club so successful.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With the offseason underway for a number of teams, with the remainder to join them in a few weeks, we're looking at what's in store for each club in the coming months.2016-17 Grade: DThe Florida Panthers finished first in the Atlantic Division in 2015-16 with 103 points, but wound up sixth this season with just 81 points. The only reason a decline like this didn't receive an F grade was because arguably their three best players - D Aaron Ekblad, C Aleksander Barkov, and LW Jonathan Huberdeau - missed large chunks of the season due to injury.Free AgentsLuckily, the Panthers don't have many key players needing contracts come July 1:Player (Position)2017-18 StatusAge2016-17 Cap Hit'16-17 Points/SV%Jaromir Jagr (RW)UFA45$4M46Thomas Vanek (LW)UFA33$1.3M48Jakub Kindl (D)UFA30$2.04M4Reto Berra (G)UFA30$1.45M.876Michael Sgarbossa (C)RFA24$600K7Mark Pysyk (D)RFA25$1.125M17Alex Petrovic (D)RFA25$1.05M14They could opt to re-sign veteran forwards Jagr and Vanek, but both are disposable. Pysyk and Petrovic are their fifth and sixth D-men, so both are replaceable if they can't be retained.2017 Draft PicksThe Panthers have five picks in the coming draft.RoundPicks11 (10th overall)2131 (from Coyotes)405161 (from Ducks)70(Photo courtesy: Action Images)Summer PrioritiesThe Panthers must do the following this summer:1. Hire a coach: The Panthers have yet to hire a head coach to replace Tom Rowe. Considering the club already has a good, young core in place, finding a suitable coach needs to be priority No. 1.There are still plenty of household names available: Darryl Sutter, Michel Therrien, Bob Hartley, Dan Bylsma, Marc Crawford, and Paul MacLean. It would behoove the Panthers to hire someone with experience and pedigree, given that they have a young team that is ready to compete right now.2. Acquire a top-six forward: Here is how Florida's top-six forward group is projected to look if they don't re-sign Jagr or Vanek:LWCRWJonathan HuberdeauAleksander BarkovJonathan MarchessaultJussi JokinenVincent TrocheckReilly SmithJokinen is 34 years old and really struggled this past season. He is under contract for one more season at $4 million. He can still be a useful player in the bottom six, capable of jumping back up into the top six when injuries strike. But it would be wise to add another legitimate top-six forward, or even two if possible.This will be tough to do though, considering Aaron Ekblad's $7.5-million cap hit kicks in next season, so general manager Dale Tallon will have to get creative with his few remaining dollars. Acquiring a veteran that the market could overlook simply due to age - such as Radim Vrbata or Justin Williams - wouldn't be a bad idea. Bringing Jagr or Vanek back shouldn't be ruled out, either.3. Acquire depth at all positions: The Panthers surprisingly don't have many holes for a team coming off a poor season. If either Roberto Luongo or James Reimer departs in the expansion draft, they will need to look for a backup goaltender.Otherwise, they should simply look to acquire depth at all positions, so they can stay afloat if injuries strike once again. They are up against the cap, so signing big-name free agents is essentially out of the question.2017-18 OutlookThe Panthers will succeed in 2017-18 as long as they stay healthy. Barkov, Trocheck, and Nick Bjugstad represent great depth down the middle. They have a stout top-four D, and - if Luongo and Reimer are both back - a solid goaltending tandem. Adding some offensive punch would solidify them as an Atlantic Division contender.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ryan Kesler and Ryan Johansen don't exactly run each other's fan clubs.The two battled throughout Game 2 on Sunday night, a 5-3 Ducks win, and after a few slashes and an elbow from the Anaheim monster pest, Johansen went off on Kesler postgame."He just blows my mind. I don't know what's going through his head out there. His family and friends watching him play, I don't know how you can cheer for a guy like that," the Nashville Predators forward said, according to 102.5 The Game. "It just doesn't make sense how he plays the game. I'm just trying to go out there and play hockey and it sucks when you have to pull a stick out of your groin every shift."Johansen also had to deal with an elbow to the face:

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Nick Ritchie scored the tiebreaking goal late in the second period, and the Anaheim Ducks roared back from an early two-goal deficit to even the Western Conference finals with a 5-3 victory over the Nashville Predators in Game 2 on Sunday night.Jakob Silfverberg, Sami Vatanen and Ondrej Kase also scored while the Ducks cracked imposing goalie Pekka Rinne with a thrilling surge of four goals in less than 19 minutes. The Predators hadn't allowed four goals in any game during their excellent Stanley Cup playoff run before Anaheim finally got rolling for its sellout crowd.John Gibson stopped 30 shots, and Antoine Vermette had an empty-net goal for the Ducks.Ryan Johansen, James Neal and Filip Forsberg scored for the Predators.Game 3 is Tuesday night in Nashville.Rinne made 22 saves for the Predators, and faced relatively little adversity while steamrolling Chicago and St. Louis in the first two rounds on the way to the first conference finals in franchise history.Two days after Nashville's 3-2 overtime victory at Honda Center in the series opener, Johansen and Neal scored in the opening 8:32 of Game 2.The Ducks finally awakened at the prospect of their second straight 0-2 series deficit and replied with high-octane hockey - and a few fortunate bounces - that was too much even for Rinne, who hadn't given up four goals in a game since March 13.Ritchie, the power forward making his first career playoff run, scored the winning goal in Game 7 against Edmonton. Four days later, he got his next major goal on an exceptional high shot that appeared to glance off Rinne's mask on the way in.Anaheim hung on through a frenetic third period, surviving a few mad scrambles before captain Ryan Getzlaf got his third assist of the night on Vermette's empty-netter. The Ducks also got several good saves from Gibson, who has raised his level of play from the first two rounds.Although Honda Center was much fuller and louder than it was for the traffic-affected series opener, the Ducks' knack for slow starts at home remained constant.After Johansen scored on a breakaway just 4:18 in, Neal doubled the lead on a power play with one of the easiest goals in recent history, escorting the puck unimpeded into the net when Gibson completely lost sight of the play.The now-familiar ominous hush fell over Honda Center, but the Ducks got going in an unlikely scenario. Anaheim's power play was scoreless in 21 straight attempts dating to Game 2 of the second round against Edmonton, but Vatanen beat Rinne cleanly with a slap shot for his first goal of the postseason.Silfverberg evened it in the opening minute of the second period, cashing in Rickard Rakell's pass on the back side of Rinne for the ninth goal of the Swede's outstanding postseason.The Predators took another lead when Forsberg cashed in a rebound of a breakaway by speedy Viktor Arvidsson, who had two assists.The Ducks pulled even again on the first career playoff goal for Kase, the aggressive Czech rookie, who slipped a puck through traffic.NOTES: The Ducks kept veteran Jared Boll in their lineup over several young prospects to replace injured F Patrick Eaves, who missed his sixth straight game. Boll, who is scoreless in four postseason games, had no goals and three assists in 51 regular-season games. ... Getzlaf has 18 points in the postseason, trailing only Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin (19). ... Mike Trout crossed Katella Avenue to support the Ducks for the second time in three playoff games. The two-time AL MVP homered and stole two bases while the Angels beat Detroit 4-1 earlier in the day.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Through 40 minutes of play, Game 2 of the Western Conference Final was a goalie battle - for all the wrong reasons.The Anaheim Ducks led the Nashville Predators 4-3 after two periods Sunday, with four of those seven total goals coming in the second frame. John Gibson allowed three goals on 21 shots and Pekka Rinne was even worse, conceding four on 16 Ducks shots.Twitter couldn't help itself from mocking the netminders, especially Rinne, who let in a hauntingly bad goal by Nick Ritchie for his third goal allowed in the second period.

Ryan Johansen and James Neal are both on the cusp of breaking franchise records thanks to two goals in the first period of Game 2 on Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks.Johansen opened the scoring on a breakaway and later added an assist on Neal's power-play tally that pushed his playoff point total to 13. In doing so, he tied the Nashville Predators' all-time record for points in a single playoffs with 13 - matching Joel Ward's mark from 2011 and Colin Wilson's output from 2016.As for Neal, his aforementioned goal was his 13th postseason tally as a member of the Predators, tying him for the franchise lead in playoff goals with former captains Shea Weber and David Legwand.Neal's marker was also his fifth of the 2017 playoffs, giving him the team lead.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nashville Predators fans have clearly made their way to Anaheim.Prior to Sunday night's Game 2 between the Ducks and Predators, a fan somehow mustered up the strength to hurl a huge catfish onto the Honda Center ice.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau on Saturday night turned in yet another stellar performance during the Ottawa Senators' 2016-17 playoff run.The suddenly-potent Senators forward picked up a goal and an assist in his team's 2-1 overtime win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins.Related - Watch: Pageau roofs Ryan's no-look pass, extends playoff hot streakWith the goal, Pageau now sits tied for second in that category this postseason with eight in 13 games - just one shy of Jake Guentzel's playoff lead.Pageau's playoff performance this year has been nothing short of spectacular, especially considering he wasn't nearly as productive during the regular season.The 24-year-old racked up 12 goals and 33 points while playing in all 82 games for the second straight year. However, this output was his worst in terms of goals per game since he became a regular during the 2014-15 campaign.Pageau finished with a 0.146 goals per game mark this season, but has been dramatically better during the playoffs by finding the back of the net 0.615 times per game.This pace means that Pageau has the opportunity to do something very seldom seen in the league, he could realistically finish with more goals in the playoffs than he did in the regular season.One of the last notable instances of this nearly happening was during the 2012-13 season when Bryan Bickell - then playing for the Chicago Blackhawks - scored nine goals in 23 playoffs games after scoring just nine during the regular season.The difference, however, is that during the 2012-13 season Bickell was limited to just 48 games due to the lockout.Pageau needs just four more goals to hit 12 and tie his regular-season output. At his current pace, it would take him another 6.5 games to accomplish the feat. But - as he proved in the second round against the New York Rangers - he could do that in a single game.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Brian Burke showering Ottawa Senators forward Bobby Ryan with compliments is not something most hockey fans expected to hear following Saturday's Eastern Conference Final.Or ever.But then again, Ryan has arguably been Ottawa's best forward this playoffs.Related: Suddenly Ottawa's best forward, Ryan starting anew this postseasonBurke and Ryan have never exactly seen eye to eye, and the pair have a colorful history.Most will remember the highly publicized feud between the winger and the Calgary Flames president of hockey operations from the winter of 2014, where Burke called out Ryan for lacking intensity."That word (intensity) is not in his vocabulary," Burke said at the time, according to ESPN's Scott Burnside.Burke had been the director of player personnel for Team USA when he called the talented winger out, and even left him off the roster for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.The two traded barbs in the media, Ryan missed the opportunity to play at the Olympics, and the hockey world spun on.Fast forward to today, and Burke has seemingly changed his opinion on the 30-year-old veteran."The difference in watching Bobby play in this year's playoffs versus prior seasons is his commitment level," Burke said Sunday, according to Craig Custance of ESPN.Burke was also quick to point out the influence that head coach Guy Boucher has had on Ryan's play."This coach has clearly gotten to him. When you add the intensity we were all hoping for when he turned pro - and he has brought that now - this is the package the Anaheim Ducks thought they were drafting."Ryan has been clutch for the Sens, racking up five goals and six assists in 13 games so far this postseason while also firing 30 shots on net.Ottawa and Boucher will need a lot more of the same from Ryan if they hope to knock off the reigning Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.Game 2 goes Monday at PPG Paints Arena, with puck drop set for 8:00 p.m. ET.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's easy to understand why most people are just starting to hear about Nasvhille Predators defenseman Mattias Ekholm.For starters, he plays on the same squad as perennial Norris Trophy threats Roman Josi, P.K. Subban, and Ryan Ellis.And sure, he's been an above-average defenseman for the better part of four seasons now, but realistically, outside of committed hockey heads, Ekholm still doesn't get the love he deserves.He also plays in Nashville.Which, despite its recent success on the ice, is not known for being a big hockey market. So Ekholm's talents don't get him the attention that they might if he played elsewhere.After Friday's Game 1 showing where he was an absolute beast at both ends of the rink against the Anaheim Ducks, it's safe to expect that we'll be hearing a lot more of his name in the coming days.Related: Breaking down Ekholm's excellent effort before Neal's OT winnerHowever, one thing remains clear: Ekholm is putting the league on notice this postseason.Not only is the Swedish national averaging an impressive amount of minutes per game at 25:16 - good enough for sixth in the league among D-men still competing in the playoffs - but he's starting to chip in offensively, as well.Ekholm has yet to find the back of the net during Nashville's recent playoff run, but his vision and outlet passing are quickly becoming his trademarks.Ekholm's contributed three assists in his last three games, and the rearguard's arguably been Nashville's strongest blue-liner.Take that in for a second - Ekholm was the Predators' best D-man ahead of both Josi and Subban.He's a glue guy who goes about his business in the same manner in which his team operates: Under the radar.At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, the 26-year-old has the frame to go along with the skills to be a contributing factor on the Nashville blue line for years to come.

Bobby Ryan and Craig Anderson didn't want to dwell on it, but this Mother's Day likely carries extra significance for the Ottawa Senators teammates.Ryan, who scored the overtime winner Saturday night to win Game 1 over the Pittsburgh Penguins, shared how tough it was to not be able to reach out to his mother - who died last summer after a battle with liver cancer - to share in his moment."It's almost poetic," Ryan told reporters. "It's my first (Mother's Day) without being able to text my mom, but I woke up this morning, and I was able to text my wife because it was hers. You take the good with the bad on days like today."Anderson, whose situation has also been well documented, acknowledged that Mother's Day is always important, but insisted his circumstances didn't make it any different."I don't think there's any more meaning," he said. "I think it's probably one of the first Mother's Days I've been playing, that's for sure. We'll take a little time today and reflect on it and spend some time with that and move on."Anderson's wife, Nicholle, has been battling throat cancer since being diagnosed in October.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Here's what happened on Day 10 of the World Hockey Championship in Paris, France and Cologne, Germany.USA 6, Slovakia 1

The Ottawa Senators had a glaring weakness in the regular season, but they've rectified it in a major way this spring.Preventing opposing power-play goals was a significant challenge for Ottawa over the 82-game schedule, and particularly down the stretch.The Senators ranked in the bottom third of the NHL over the entire regular season and had the league's worst penalty kill over their final 30 contests.SenatorsPK%League RankFull Regular Season79.722ndFeb. 10-Apr. 971.430thIt's been a different story in the playoffs, though.The Senators boast an 88.9 percent kill rate in 13 postseason contests, a mark bested by only the Nashville Predators among the four remaining clubs.They've allowed just two opposing power-play goals in six home playoff games, and only three in seven on the road.Craig Anderson has played a big part in that success.The goaltender has a stellar .932 save percentage on the kill in the playoffs, best among the remaining starters and a major improvement over his regular-season mark of .838, which ranked third-worst among goalies with at least 40 games played.Ottawa's penalty kill was a perfect five-for-five in a Game 1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night, and that continued a recent trend of perfection.The Senators have killed off 12 straight penalties in the last three games dating back to their second-round series against the New York Rangers, and they're 17-for-18 in the last four.Ottawa hasn't allowed a power-play goal since Rangers forward Chris Kreider scored with the man advantage midway through the third period of Game 4.Few are giving the Senators much of a chance against the Penguins in the Eastern Conference Final, but as Ottawa proved in Game 1, they'll be tough to beat if they can keep stifling opposing power plays.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With the offseason underway for a number of teams and the remainder to join them in a few weeks, we're looking at what's in store for each club in the coming months.2016-17 Grade: FThe Dallas Stars failed to build on a 2015-16 campaign in which they finished with 109 points, second to only the Washington Capitals. The Stars crashed down to 79 points this season, as the team's young blue line and shaky goaltending put it on the wrong side of the scoreboard on too many nights.Free AgentsThe Stars have several players who need contracts come July 1, including veteran forwards Patrick Sharp, Ales Hemsky, and Jiri Hudler, who all dealt with a host of injuries this season. Moving on from all three will free up plenty of cap space and allow general manager Jim Nill to bring in some new blood among the forward ranks.Player (Position)2017-18 StatusAge2016-17 Cap Hit'16-17 PointsPatrick Sharp (F)UFA35$5.9M18Ales Hemsky (F)UFA33$4M7Jiri Hudler (F)UFA33$2M11Brett Ritchie (F)RFA23$875K24Radek Faksa (F)RFA23$863K33Jamie Oleksiak (D)RFA24$919K7Patrik Nemeth (D)RFA25$900K3Esa Lindell (D)RFA22$746K182017 Draft PicksThe Stars have eight picks in the coming draft, including an extra first-rounder from the deal that sent Patrick Eaves to the Anaheim Ducks.Dallas was originally slotted to pick at No. 8, but will now select third overall after winning one of three draws at the draft lottery.RoundPicks12 (Own & Ducks)213141516171Summer PrioritiesBuild out from BishopNothing hurt the Stars more this season than the shoddy goaltending duo of Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi, as the two combined for an NHL-worst .893 save percentage. Lehtonen (.902) outdueled the latter (.892), though neither netminder was worth writing home about.That left Nill to look elsewhere, and the Stars began their offseason with a bang by acquiring the rights to goaltender Ben Bishop from the Los Angeles Kings. Dallas wasted little time in getting Bishop's name on an extension, as he's since signed a six-year deal with the club.Add a veteran blue-linerThe Stars have a promising defensive core with several youngsters in tow, like John Klingberg, Esa Lindell, and Stephen Johns, but the team could use a greybeard to shepherd in the next wave on the back end.Dallas added 34-year-old Dan Hamhuis last offseason, but lost key veteran voices in Alex Goligoski, Jason Demers, and Kris Russell. Most importantly, some added experience should shore up the Stars' porous penalty killing unit, which finished dead last at 73.9 percent.Adjust to Ken Hitchcock's defensive styleLindy Ruff is out and Ken Hitchcock is in. The veteran bench boss won the Stanley Cup with the Stars in 1999 and returns to Texas with much of the same philosophy he used in guiding Dallas to its only championship.Related: Seguin 'giddy' about Hitchcock's plan to turn him into true No. 1 centerHitchcock preaches details in the defensive zone, an area where the Stars struggled last season. Those issues will be far easier to tackle with Bishop between the pipes and some added veteran presence on the blue line.2017-18 OutlookThe offense is there, and the playoffs can be as well, if the Stars can fix their ailing defensive game.The dynamic duo of Tyler Seguin and captain Jamie Benn leads the scoring charge up front, but it will be up to the Stars' young blue line to take the next steps in order to climb the ranks in the Central Division.Klingberg took a step back this season, as despite appearing in four more games than in 2015-16, he finished with nine fewer points, while his plus-minus plummeted by 20. He'll be looked upon to lead a youthful defensive core that should play with more confidence next season with Bishop defending the cage.If the club can shore up its back end, the Stars' postseason drought should end after a modest one season miss.(Photos courtesy: Action Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sit back, relax, and reflect on the magic of playoff overtime.After establishing an NHL record with 18 combined OT games in the first round, the postseason heroics haven't slowed down.Five games in Round 2 required extra time, while the first two contests of the conference finals were settled in sudden death, too.The grand total for this postseason is now 25, just three shy of matching the all-time record, with plenty of games remaining.(Video Courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Suddenly, Bobby Ryan's contract is an afterthought.A one-time good bet to become a future Vegas Golden Knight, the $7-million man has been invaluable this postseason, netting five goals, including three game-winners to continue the Ottawa Senators' march toward the Stanley Cup.It's a stark contrast from the regular season, where Ryan's playoff production is nearly half the 13 goals he scored through his first 62 games.The Senators forward has pieced together a postseason performance that has helped push Ottawa to win not only its first playoff series since 2013, but the team is now just three victories shy of a trip to the Stanley Cup Final.Among others, the Senators have Ryan to thank.After tallying two game-winners through the opening round against the Boston Bruins, Ryan was once again the hero Saturday, as the New Jersey native sealed the victory in OT of Game 1 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.It marked Ryan's 11th point of the postseason, second to only the always impressive Erik Karlsson for the team lead in scoring.Signed through the next four seasons, Ryan was the lightning rod in Ottawa for much of this campaign. As the Senators' highest paid forward, those dollars came with expectations, with Ryan charged with carrying much of the offense for the goal-starved Senators. He never delivered.Ryan wrapped the regular season with a measly 25 points, a career low for the nine-year pro who made his full-time debut in Anaheim in 2008.Ryan's 25-point season totaled just inside the Senators' top 10 scorers, behind the likes of Zack Smith, sophomore Ryan Dzingel, and defenseman Dion Phaneuf.Through it all, the Senators recorded just 212 goals, the lone playoff team to finish in the bottom 10 in scoring and the only squad to qualify with a negative goal differential.But now? Times are different. With his winner against the Penguins, Ryan became the first Senator to score multiple OT-winners in a single postseason, a feat never accomplished by franchise standouts like Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, or even Alexei Yashin.For Ryan, it has been the sort of spring that has lifted not only his own game, but the hope of Senators fans alike.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Everyone wants to know the Ottawa Senators' secret.Following Saturday's Game 1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Senators are now 6-1 in overtime decisions during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.Perhaps it's because they're not overthinking it, so to speak."I think we're not smart enough to know any different," Anderson told Scott Oake of "Hockey Night in Canada" when asked why Ottawa is winning all these overtime games.If random trivia is any indication, the Senators could be on their way to greater things.

Bobby Ryan continues to raise his game in the playoffs.The Ottawa Senators winger scored the overtime winner in Game 1 on Saturday by breaking into the Pittsburgh Penguins' zone and going backhand shelf on Marc-Andre Fleury.The goal was Ryan's fifth of the playoffs after he managed only 13 in 62 games during the regular season. He also beautifully set up the game's opening goal with a nifty no-look pass to Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and has now registered 11 points in 13 games.Three of Ryan's strikes have been game-winners, two of them coming in extra time.For the game, Ottawa outshot the Penguins 35-28, with the Sens' last shot sealing a huge road win to open the Eastern Conference Final.Game 2 is set for Monday.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's never a bad day when you leapfrog Jaromir Jagr.A late third-period goal by Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin marked the 148th playoff point of his career, putting him one ahead of the former Penguins captain.Malkin now trails teammate Sidney Crosby and the legendary Mario Lemieux for the top two spots.Here's a glance at the Penguins' top five all-time playoff producers:Rank Player GP G A P1Mario Lemieux10776961722Sidney Crosby13553981513Evgeni Malkin13754941484Jaromir Jagr14065821475Kevin Stevens1034660106Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman is debunking the notion that the recent firing of assistant coach Mike Kitchen was intended as a warning for bench boss Joel Quenneville following an early playoff exit."People think that's the case, even though there's no validity to it," Bowman told Brian Hedger of the Sun-Times from the World Championship in Germany. "I learned a long time ago that you can't control what other people are going to think or say. We know what the truth is, and none of that is accurate. But that's OK. That's the way it goes."A new assistant has yet to be named, but Quenneville will play an active role in the hiring process."We're not delaying it by any means, but you want to make sure you get the right person," Bowman said. "Joel's going to play a big role in that because he's going to be working with that person day to day."Quenneville was reportedly upset about Kitchen's firing. The pair had coached together in Chicago since 2010, winning Stanley Cups in 2013 and 2015.Prior to that, Quenneville and Kitchen worked together from 1998-2003 with the St. Louis Blues.Quenneville was hired by Chicago in 2008 and is the NHL's longest-tenured head coach.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We know hockey players are tough, but just how banged up are the Ottawa Senators after four weeks of playoff battle?"I've got seven guys who would never play in the regular season right now, ever. They'd be on the sidelines. They are pressing us to play," Senators owner Eugene Melnyk told Prime Time Sports. "One of the boys, he had a cut into the right side just under his rib, and it was as gross as you could ever see - and he's playing, every shift."Of course, the biggest injury involves captain Erik Karlsson, who was unusually honest about his ailment, announcing prior to Round 2 that he has been playing with two hairline fractures in his left foot.But most impressive has been Karlsson's knack to keep up his high level of play, despite the injury. The offensive blue-liner leads the Senators with 13 points in 12 games."When you talk about Karlsson, he's just beyond the best. Many times, I've tried to compare him but there is no comparison on him," Melnyk said. "Every time you think (Karlsson) is in the windshield, he turns out to be a fly somewhere else. He is so good. You're seeing what you're getting. Imagine him healthy."Karlsson has delivered for the Senators, notching two game-winners in the postseason, including the tally that sealed their second-round series against the New York Rangers."I went down to the dressing room after we won," Melnyk continued. "You look at the guy and he could hardly walk, almost carried into the shower when he took his skates off ... How he loses that or controls that pain, I have no idea."After knocking off the Boston Bruins and the Rangers, the Senators will face their most difficult task this spring in lining up against the defending champion Penguins. A series win would mark Ottawa's first trip to the Stanley Cup Final since 2007.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The hockey world is becoming well-acquainted with Jean-Gabriel Pageau.The Ottawa Senators forward scored his eighth goal of the postseason off a beautiful no-look pass from Bobby Ryan to open the scoring in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final versus the Pittsburgh Penguins.Pageau, by the way, scored 12 goals in 82 games during the regular season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Here's what happened on Day 9 of the World Hockey Championship in Paris, France and Cologne, Germany.Switzerland 3, Canada 2 (OT)

Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.Here are the fantasy ramifications of free-agent G Ben Bishop signing with the Dallas Stars:

The Anaheim Ducks haven't converted with the man advantage in a very long time, and that has to be concerning for a club that at least temporarily relinquished home-ice advantage with a Game 1 loss to the Nashville Predators in the Western Conference Final on Friday night.Related: Breaking down Ekholm's excellent effort before Neal's OT winnerThe Ducks have gone six full games without scoring on the power play, and haven't tallied one in that situation since Jakob Silfverberg's goal in a Game 2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers in the second round back on April 28.Anaheim has gone 21 consecutive power-play chances without scoring, and the Ducks are five-for-40 in these playoffs. That works out to a league-worst 12.5 percent success rate among teams still in the postseason.There were four failed opportunities Friday night, and this about sums up how they went.

Nobody is giving the Ottawa Senators a chance in this series. In fact, not one member of theScore's NHL team was brave enough to choose the Sens to advance. Can you really blame us? The Pittsburgh Penguins are the defending champs and just defeated the Presidents' Trophy winners.But then again, these unpredictable NHL playoffs have been full of Cinderella stories. The Sens are indeed capable of pulling off an upset, though three things in particular will need to come to fruition for it to be possible.Erik Karlsson needs to be the series' best playerWhat Erik Karlsson has done this postseason is simply incredible. He has carried his team to the conference finals, tallying 13 points - almost all of them of the highlight-reel variety and in clutch situations - in 12 games, while logging nearly 30 minutes a night, all while dealing with two hairline fractures in his left heel.The Penguins have three game-breakers: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Phil Kessel. Ottawa, on the other hand, has just one in Karlsson - and he's basically playing on one leg.In order for Ottawa's magical run to proceed, Karlsson needs to keep playing at an otherworldly level. He has to be the best player in the series. He needs to make that one mind-blowing pass, or score that one crazy goal that is the difference in a win or a loss. It's a tough task considering the competition, but I don't think anyone can question whether he's up to the challenge.Craig Anderson needs to outplay Marc-Andre Fleury(Photo courtesy: Action Images)Craig Anderson has been good thus far in the playoffs, posting a .914 save percentage and a 2.49 goals-against average. He needs to be great if the Sens are going to pull of an upset.Not only does he need to be at his best, but he needs to outplay Marc-Andre Fleury, who is playing the best hockey of his career since Pittsburgh's run to the finals in 2008.Ottawa doesn't have the offensive firepower to win this series if it turns into river hockey. They need to win ugly. They need to play structured and they need to keep the score down. Obviously this is easier said than done, but it's going to require Anderson to be at his very best, or at the very least, better than Fleury.Ottawa needs to play aggressively, yet disciplined(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)The Senators have to play chippy. They need to finish every check. They need to get in Crosby's and Malkin's faces and under their skin. Luckily, they have the cast capable of playing this role.Everyone knows the type of super pest that Alex Burrows is. But Zack Smith and Tommy Wingels are also able and willing to drive opponents crazy. Don't forget about the nastiness that Marc Methot and Dion Phaneuf play with on the back end, either.The Sens need to play this aggravating style and make the Penguins uncomfortable on the ice, all while remaining disciplined, something they haven't done a great job of so far in the postseason.Only the Ducks and Oilers have been shorthanded more times than the Sens. If Ottawa gives Pittsburgh's lethal power play enough chances in this series, it will lose. Staying out of the box is incredibly crucial to the team's success.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Thomas Greiss issued an apology Friday night for approving of controversial Instagram posts during the U.S. presidential campaign, including one that compared Hillary Clinton to Adolf Hitler.“I apologize for interacting with several posts that appeared in my timeline, which were wrong to engage with,” the New York Islanders goaltender said in a statement through the team, according to Newsday's Arthur Staple.“‘Liking’ these posts was a mistake, and I sincerely apologize again."The German goaltender, who's representing his home country at the ongoing World Championship, was criticized by the German hockey federation for his actions, prompting his apology as well as a separate one from his NHL club.“The New York Islanders do not condone the actions of Thomas Greiss on social media and are addressing the situation internally,” the team wrote in a statement to Newsday. “And Thomas regrets his actions and recognizes that he made a mistake.”Greiss was the Islanders' starting netminder for most of this season, appearing in a career-high 51 games at the NHL level after signing a three-year extension in January.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

James Neal was the hero for the Nashville Predators in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night, but Mattias Ekholm deserves credit for a tremendous sequence that led to the winner in overtime.Related: Neal hammers Game 1 OT winner past GibsonEkholm played like a man possessed before Neal's goal, embarrassing Corey Perry, driving to the net, recovering the puck, and setting up the decisive marker.Let's take a closer look at exactly how he did it.We begin with Ekholm (No. 14 in white) controlling the puck along the boards after taking a pass from Neal.Ekholm sees Perry closing in on him.Bye, Felicia.After burning Perry, Ekholm sets his sights on goal, despite not exactly having a clear path.He cuts toward the goal as a pair of Ducks (Nate Thompson and Cam Fowler) stand ready to meet him, with Perry trailing Ekholm in hot pursuit.Ekholm somehow makes it to the front of the net untouched, as the trio of Ducks look on.He gets a shot off, but it's denied by goaltender John Gibson and the slew of bodies in front of him.A mad scramble ensues and the puck trickles into the corner, but Ekholm stays with it and regains possession.Ekholm feeds P.K. Subban, who appears ready to tee up a howitzer.But it's a fake, and Subban instead dishes off to Neal.Neal makes no mistake, firing a shot in off Perry's melon to end it.Ekholm assisted on two of Nashville's goals Friday night, while only Fowler and teammate Roman Josi logged more ice time than Ekholm's 31:05.Subban's pass and Neal's shot got plenty of attention, and deservedly so, but they wouldn't have been possible without Ekholm's series of impressive plays in the moments leading up to the winner.(Images courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With the offseason underway for a number of teams, and the remainder to join them in a few weeks, we're looking at what's in store for each club in the coming months.2016-17 Grade: DIt's tough to fault the Red Wings for a disappointing season that saw their illustrious playoff streak end at 25 years. After all, this felt like an inevitability following two consecutive seasons squeaking into the dance.An old roster, without Pavel Datsyuk this time around, simply wasn't competitive, ranking 26th in goals for (198), 26th in goals against (244), and 27th in power-play efficiency (15.1 percent).As the era of Little Caesars Arena begins, an unprecedented era of dominance concludes with several questions at the forefront for general manager Ken Holland.Free AgentsThe Red Wings began to unload assets at the trade deadline, but despite accumulating draft picks, numerous cap-strapping contracts hinder Detroit's salary flexibility.Player (Position)2017-18 StatusAge2016-17 Cap Hit'16-17 PointsTomas Tatar (F)RFA26$2.75M46Drew Miller (F)UFA33$1.025M7Andreas Athanasiou (F)RFA22$628K29Xavier Ouellet (D)RFA23$715K12Holland will surely retain Tatar, Athanasiou, and Ouellet. Miller, on the other hand, your time has come.2017 Draft PicksDetroit was apparently one lottery ball number from selecting No. 1 overall. Imagine that - earning the top pick as a reward for missing the playoffs for the first time in a quarter century.Alas, here's how Detroit stacks up for June's entry draft.RoundPicks11 (9th overall)2134 (CHI+FLA+NYR+TOR)41516Own+FLA71Summer PrioritiesCommit to the rebuildHolland is of the opinion that a re-tool is a viable solution going forward. He doesn't believe in tanking. He believes in accountability and development - a recipe that must be tough to stray from considering his list of accomplishments.However, a full-blown rebuild is the only option going forward. With so many draft picks, Holland and Red Wings brass needs to use its scouting expertise to find their next crop of stars, the way they did with Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, as well as Nicklas Lidstrom and Sergei Fedorov before them.The draft holds no guarantees, but it's any team's best chance. Detroit needs to utilize it.Dump salaryA re-tool via free agency would be much easier if Holland didn't dig the Red Wings a hole to the depths of salary cap hell.Here's a look at some of the constricting contracts weighing Detroit down.PlayerAge Cap HitContract Expires2016-17 PointsZetterberg36$6.083M202168Frans Nielsen33$5.25M202241Justin Abdelkader30$4.25M202321Darren Helm30$3.85M202117Niklas Kronwall36$4.75M201913Zetterberg, a Red Wings legend, will close out his career with the "C" above his winged wheel, and Kronwall likely isn't going anywhere either.The others, however, should be shipped immediately to anyone willing to take on their fees, though that may prove much easier said than done.Move Jimmy HowardWhether it's via expansion draft or trade, the time is now for Detroit to move on from Howard.He had a strong season before being injured (again), but handing the crease to the younger, cheaper Petr Mrazek makes the most sense.2017-18 OutlookIt's a changing of the guard in Motown, and life outside the playoffs could very well be the new norm in Detroit for a while.The Red Wings should use 2017-18 as an evaluative season rather than setting any unrealistic expectations, as much as that may bother the boss.Frankly, Detroit still has some promising pieces in its core in Larkin, Athanasiou, and Anthony Mantha, as well as plenty developing prospects patrolling the AHL in Evgeny Svechnikov, Martin Frk, Tomas Nosek, and Tyler Bertuzzi.Taking advantage of the draft, infusing new youth to the lineup and shedding salary should be at the top of Detroit's to-do list next season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Latvia's roster at the World Championship has very little NHL experience. There's Sabres forward Zemgus Girgensons, who has 277 games in the show under his belt. Then there's Kaspars Daugavins, who skated in 91 games with the Senators and Bruins before heading to the KHL.That's it.However, behind the bench, Latvia boasts 463 NHL wins, six division titles, and one Stanley Cup championship. Head coach Bob Hartley can take credit for that.Yes, the same Bob Hartley who has coached 944 games in the NHL with the Colorado Avalanche, Atlanta Thrashers, and most recently, the Calgary Flames.He's had success everywhere he's been. He won a cup in Colorado, is the only coach ever to say they brought the Thrashers to the playoffs, and took a Flames team to the second round of the playoffs in 2014-15 that frankly had no right being there.Hartley was let go by the Flames after the 2015-16 season. He hasn't coached in the NHL since, but has instead found success coaching the Latvian national team. So far at the World Championship, Latvia has three wins and two losses and sits in fourth place out of eight teams in Group A.How the club has performed against superior hockey nations is what should grab the attention of NHL clubs looking to fill a head coaching vacancy.(Photo courtesy: Action Images)In its first two games at the World Championship, Latvia defeated Denmark and Slovakia - two teams that may not be powerhouses, but also aren't pushovers - by a combined scored of 6-1. They then unsurprisingly beat Italy, but then gave both Sweden and USA a run for their money.The Latvians lost to an experienced Swedish team just 2-0, and most recently dropped their matchup with the United States 5-3 (which included an empty-netter). Hartley and the Latvians can certainly hold their heads high, even though they blew a 3-1 lead in the latter game.What Hartley has shown in Cologne, Germany is that he can take a far less talented team and remain competitive with some of the best hockey nations in the world, thanks to his defensive style of coaching.Considering his resume, ability to adapt, and willingness to stuff his pride and coach a country that only has 19(!) total hockey rinks, he is deserving of another NHL gig.The Buffalo Sabres and the Florida Panthers are the only two teams with head coaching vacancies at the moment, but they would be smart to, at the very least, bring Hartley in for an interview.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

James Neal played the role of hero Friday in Game 1, as the Nashville Predators forward drilled a one-timer past John Gibson midway through the first overtime period to earn a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks.The goal was a relief for the Predators in more ways than one, as Neal left the game earlier after appearing to suffer an injury. Luckily, he returned and the Predators were all the better for it, earning the win in their first appearance in a conference finals series.Overall, Nashville severely outshot the Ducks with a 46-29 advantage, including a 15-6 margin in the first period.As for Neal, the goal was his fourth of the postseason, giving him a share of the team lead alongside Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis, and Filip Forsberg.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Nashville Predators are getting contributions from everyone this postseason.Thanks to a fortunate bounce early in the second period of Game 1 against the Anaheim Ducks, Austin Watson became the 15th different Predators player to score a goal in the 2017 playoffs - the most of any club this postseason and a franchise record, according to Bob Waterman of Elias Sports Bureau.TeamNumber of Goal-scorersPredators15Senators13Rangers13Penguins13Ducks13Capitals12Oilers12Blue Jackets10Maple Leafs10Blues10Sharks9Canadiens9Bruins9Wild6Flames5Blackhawks3

Maybe some pain-numbing NBA playoff action will cure what ails Alex Ovechkin.Related: Ovechkin's wife shares grisly photo of playoff injuryThe Russian superstar was still in D.C., on Friday, attending Verizon Center to show support for the Washington Wizards as they tangled with the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Dallas Stars have their man in the blue paint.Finally.The club announced the signing of netminder Ben Bishop to a six-year, $29.5-million deal on Friday, and later in the afternoon the 30-year-old gave his first conference call as a member of the Stars and opened up about why he chose Big D."It's hard to find forwards that can score like the Stars can. They have a lot of them," said Bishop, according to Mark Stepneski of NHL.com. "As a goalie, it makes it a little more comforting knowing that the guys can go out there and score and you just have to do your job and stop the puck."Sure, the Stars can score with the best of them. But maybe Bishop is forgetting about the other end of the spectrum: defense.The club struggled mightily in its own end during the 2016-17 season, ranking 29th in the league in goals-against average and dead last in save percentage. Time has run out for the duo of Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi who were both downright awful at times.To be fair, Dallas' crease has been a hot mess for at least three seasons. With last year being especially hard to watch, particularly for general manager Jim Nill, who is excited to have a 6-foot-7 goaltender of Bishop's caliber."He's an elite goalie the last six to eight years, and I think he is just coming into his prime. He's a little bit of a late bloomer," Nill said."He's big in net, and he has good, strong goalie fundamentals. He's outstanding at handling the puck. I think he is going to make a big difference as far as us moving the puck out of our zone."Regardless of the high praise, last season was a down year for Bishop.The former third-round pick had his share of struggles, going 18-15-5 with only one shutout over a season shared between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Los Angeles Kings.However, next year is a fresh start for Bishop, who promptly becomes the No.1 option in Dallas while also offering an immediate injection of defensive relevance the club has not felt since Marty Turco's Vezina-nominated season of 2002-03.Good luck, Ben!Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Alexander Ovechkin had a rough week.Not only were his Washington Capitals bounced from the postseason for the ninth time of Ovechkin's 12-year career, but it was also revealed that No.8 had been playing through a number of ailments, going as far as taking pain-numbing injections just to get into the lineup every night.Friday was locker clean-out day in D.C., and earlier in the afternoon Ovechkin's wife, Anastasia Shebskaya, shared on her personal Instagram account what appears to be a picture of Ovie's injured leg.

Evgeny Kuznetsov will play at least another 21 years in the NHL, or at least in theory.The Washington Capitals forward was asked on Friday about his pending free agency - he will become a restricted free agent July 1 - and doesn't appear to be worried about the term of his next deal, but more if he'll be able to follow in the footsteps of Jaromir Jagr.

The San Jose Sharks re-signed forward Melker Karlsson to a three-year contract and forward Joonas Donskoi to a two-year deal on Friday, the team announced.Karlsson's deal will pay him an average of $2 million per season, while Donskoi will make an average of $1.9 million per year, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun."Melker plays an up-tempo, high-energy game and brings flexibility to our lineup wherever he plays," general manager Doug Wilson said in a release. "His tenacious style of play fits our team perfectly, and we feel confident using him in many different situations. He kills penalties, can play with high-end players and brings an honest effort night in and night out. We're excited he has made this commitment to the organization."As for Donskoi, Wilson also praised the 25-year-old's play at both ends of the rink."Joonas plays a solid two-way game, combining his skill and creativity with an aggressive, hard-working effort in all three zones," Wilson said. "He plays the game the way we want to play as a team, and we feel he has only scratched the surface of his abilities. He battled through multiple injuries last season and we look forward to having him healthy at training camp this season."Karlsson played a career-high 67 games this season, contributing 11 goals and 11 assists. Meanwhile, Donskoi was far less impressive in his second campaign, posting six goals and 17 points after hitting 11 and 36 last season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Warning: Story contains graphic imagesTampa Bay Lightning and Team Sweden blue-liner Victor Hedman had a very close call on Friday at the World Hockey Championship in Cologne, Germany.During Sweden's 8-1 dismantling of Team Italy, Hedman was injured after a mid-ice collision where his visor cracked upon delivering a hit to forward Michele Marchetti.

It's not even summer yet, but things have certainly picked up for the Dallas Stars since their season ended.The 2016-17 campaign itself was forgettable for the Stars, as they finished second-last in the Central Division and fourth-last in the Western Conference, but since then, things have started to go their way.Dallas had only a 6.4 percent chance of jumping into the top three in the draft lottery, but that's exactly what happened late last month when the Stars landed the third overall pick.Then came the Ben Bishop trade Tuesday, in which the Stars landed the two-time Vezina Trophy finalist's rights from the Los Angeles Kings for a fourth-round selection in the upcoming draft.As if that wasn't enough, the conditional second-round draft pick they obtained from the Anaheim Ducks in the Patrick Eaves trade back in February became a first-rounder Wednesday night, because the conditions of the deal were met when the Ducks reached the conference final and Eaves played in at least half of Anaheim's games in the first two playoff series.Less than 48 hours after that, Bishop agreed to a six-year, $29.5-million deal with the Stars.Dallas still has some problems to solve between now and the fall, and the term on the Bishop deal might come back to bite them, but the Stars are suddenly in better shape than they were only a couple of weeks ago.Sure, they now have three goalies with cap hits of at least $4.5 million next season, so one of either Kari Lehtonen or Antti Niemi has to go, and they likely won't have a chance to draft one of the two most highly touted prospects - those being Nolan Patrick and Nico Hischier - barring another move up the draft board.But they weren't expecting to get either phenom anyway, and they're now in much better draft positions than it originally appeared they'd be in. Plus, they could always use their improved draft slots as trade chips.Consider the additional first-rounder from the Eaves deal, and the Stars now have some assets to further improve their roster.Not a bad couple of weeks in Texas.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The following four players don't get nearly enough credit. Big-name stars will make most of the headlines, but these unheralded skaters still have the ability to change the complexion of an entire series. Look for them to be difference-makers in the conference finals.Mark Stone, RW, SenatorsStone is certainly not the quickest nor the flashiest player in the league, but he does so many things that don't show up in your standard box score.He's played three full seasons in the NHL, and has led the league in takeaways for all three. He hasn't lit up the scoresheet so far in the postseason, but true to form he leads all skaters with 15 takeaways.Pittsburgh has been very responsible with the puck so far in the playoffs, so Stone is going to have to continue to generate turnovers for Ottawa to stand a chance in this series.Brandon Montour, D, DucksWhen talking about how young and mobile Anaheim's defense is, you often hear the names Cam Fowler, Sami Vatanen, and Hampus Lindholm - and deservedly so. However, the player you rarely hear about is Brandon Montour.The rookie defenseman has earned the trust of bench boss Randy Carlyle, playing over 20 minutes a night. He hasn't let his coach down, either, as he's sporting a plus-9 rating.Perhaps what's most impressive, though, is that Montour has been on the ice for more scoring chances for per 60 minutes at five-on-five than any defenseman still in the playoffs. Yup, more than Erik Karlsson, Justin Schultz, Roman Josi, P.K. Subban, or any of his own teammates.Don't be discouraged by Montour's modest point total. He had just six in 27 games during the regular season, and now five in 11 contests during the playoffs, but had an impressive 99 points in 118 games during his AHL career.The more games he plays in the NHL, the more comfortable he will get. This will lead to more goals and assists, and it could happen as soon as this upcoming series with the Nashville Predators.Mattias Ekholm, D, PredatorsNashville's defense has done an outstanding job generating offense so far in the playoffs. Josi and Ryan Ellis are tied for the team lead in goals with four, while Subban is second on the team with six assists. Their production has been well documented, but the play of Mattias Ekholm has not.Unlike the previous three names mentioned, Ekholm isn't an offensive defenseman. He has three points in the playoffs, and only had 23 during the regular season. He isn't overly physical, either, which is probably why he doesn't make many highlight reels.However, Ekholm's size (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) and skating ability will be crucial when matching up against Anaheim's hulking forwards, such as Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. He is perhaps the most unheralded X-factor of this entire series.Bryan Rust, RW, PenguinsBryan Rust has scored some big goals so far in the postseason. He has five in total, including two game-winners. Plus, all signs indicate he can keep up this pace.First off, he's skating on the team's top line alongside Sidney Crosby. Second, he's received 14 individual scoring chances at five-on-five in the postseason - the second-most of any remaining player.While Ottawa's focus will be on shutting down Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Phil Kessel, Rust will fly under the radar - as always.(Photos courtesy: Action Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jason Botterill isn't tipping his hand when it comes to his head-coaching targets, but he doesn't have to look far for an example of someone he'd like the Buffalo Sabres' future bench boss to resemble.When asked what he's looking for, the Sabres' new general manager said his former coworker has all the right qualities."I (was) very proud of our group in Pittsburgh hiring Mike Sullivan as our American Hockey League coach and then having him come up to Pittsburgh," Botterill said on Sportsnet's Hockey Central at Noon on Friday."I think he demonstrates a lot of the traits that are key in a National Hockey League coach here right now. It's that presence in the (dressing) room, making sure that people know that he's the main authority figure, but it's also about communication."Botterill spent 10 seasons with the Penguins in various hockey operations roles, most recently serving as Pittsburgh's associate GM.Sullivan led the Penguins to a Stanley Cup championship last June after taking over from the fired Mike Johnston in December 2015.The new Sabres GM said he'd like to hire a head coach before the draft next month.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Not since the days of John Muckler have the Buffalo Sabres had a general manager who's played an integral part in winning the Stanley Cup.The club's new GM, Jason Botterill, comes with a pair of rings, and he's widely considered to have been a key architect of both of the Pittsburgh Penguins' titles, in 2009 and 2016.That championship experience, and more importantly, the significant role he played in constructing those teams, gives the Sabres something they've sorely lacked over the last two decades - a GM who knows how to mold a winner.Tim Murray had plenty of hockey operations experience when he was hired by Buffalo in the winter of 2014, but capturing the Calder Cup as GM of the AHL's Binghamton Senators in 2011 was as close as he'd come to claiming the ultimate prize.His predecessor, Darcy Regier, joined the New York Islanders in a subordinate role in 1984, but that was after their four straight championships from 1980-83.The Sabres reached the Cup Final during Regier's tenure in 1999, but of course infamously fell short.To find a previous Sabres GM with a Stanley Cup pedigree, you have to go back to Muckler, who occupied the role from 1993-1997.The former Edmonton Oilers head coach didn't serve as an executive with that dynasty, but he was an assistant bench boss for four Cup victories and then head coach when the Oilers won their fifth championship in 1990.Muckler didn't assemble those squads himself - that was Glen Sather's doing - but he did have an instrumental role when he won it all, and that's more than any recent Sabres GMs could say, until Botterill's arrival.No Buffalo NHL club has ever hoisted Lord Stanley's mug, despite two appearances in the final (in 1975 and '99), and the Sabres have missed the playoffs in 11 of the last 15 seasons.Even when the team was consistently competitive in the late '90s and then again in the mid-2000s, it's never been able to get over the hump.Winning the Stanley Cup is hard. It isn't - and shouldn't be - a requirement for becoming an NHL GM, because of the difficulty of the accomplishment and the sheer rarity of the opportunity to build or guide a team to the top of the heap.But while the Sabres have been guided by several qualified hockey personnel types over the years, it's been a long time since they landed someone like Botterill whose fingerprints were all over the Penguins' titles.He was able to help assemble a deep, talented roster around a franchise cornerstone in Sidney Crosby, and that experience should come in handy as he attempts to do the same around Jack Eichel.There's been a lot of losing in Buffalo lately, but finally getting a lead executive who knows what it takes to win bodes well for the Sabres' future.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom will try to erase the memory of another disappointing second-round playoff exit by joining Sweden at the World Championship, according to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com.Backstrom becomes Sweden's second massive addition in as many days, as the club added goaltender Henrik Lundqvist yesterday.Backstrom will allow Carolina's Victor Rask to slide down into a much more suitable second-line center role. It's unclear who will line up on Backstrom's wings, but the option of putting him between Gabriel Landeskog and William Nylander is extremely enticing.The additions of a No. 1 goalie and a No. 1 center make Sweden a legitimate gold medal favorite, if they weren't already. They stand at 3-0-1-1, good for second place in Group A.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A pastry chef in Montreal is already predicting a Stanley Cup win for P.K. Subban and the Nashville Predators.Lawrence Vourtzoumis spent the past week creating a cake in honor of Subban, complete with a miniature version of the former Montreal Canadiens defenseman."Just because he was traded, doesn't mean that I'm not going to like him anymore," Vourtzoumis told Domenic Fazioli of Breakfast Television Montreal. "So, I'm going to support him all the way through."- With h/t to FOX SportsCopyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Like clockwork.The Dallas Stars' social media team was right on time announcing Ben Bishop's new contract.As reporters began to share details of the goaltender's six-year deal, the Stars shared a caption-less picture of a certain British landmark to mark the occasion.

The Dallas Stars have agreed to a six-year, $29.5-million contract with impending free-agent goaltender Ben Bishop, the team announced Friday.The Stars acquired Bishop's rights from the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick.Bishop, 30, spent 2016-17 split between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Kings, posting a 18-15-5 record with a .910 save percentage and 2.54 goals-against average.This was widely considered a down season for Bishop, though. He led the league with a 2.06 goal-against average the year prior and has a career save percentage of .919.The 6-foot-7 netminder will fill a massive hole in the Stars' crease. The tandem of Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi combined for a league-worst .893 save percentage this season. Both are under contract for one more year, so at least one of them will likely be bought out or traded.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.